The serum is a concentrated product in cosmetics that nourishes the skin's interior layers without leaving
an oily afterglow. The inflammatory skin condition called acne affects the sebaceous glands, which
supply the hair follicles with fine hair. Acne lesions have been reported to include bacteria, such as
Propionibacterium acne, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermis. One treatment for acne
is to administer an antimicrobial. Neem extract has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, which
make it worthwhile for acne treatment and scar reduction. This study attempts to formulate and evaluate
an herbal anti-acne face serum with extracts of neem leaves, aloe vera gel, sesame oil, almond oil, and
sandalwood oil, taking into account the advantages of herbs in acne treatment. Five emulsion-type
serum formulations were produced in this study by altering the concentration of neem extract (NE) and
salicylic acid (SA) with (F2, F3, F4) and without (F1, F5) to compare the antibacterial activity. Various
factors, including physical characteristics, pH, homogeneity, washability, globule size and antibacterial
effect, were assessed for the prepared serums. In comparison to other formulations, formulation F1(2%
SA & 10% NE) demonstrated superior antibacterial activity based on the zone of inhibition (34±0.7
mm) against S. aureus. To treat acne vulgaris, the herbal formulation F2, which contains 15% NE and
no synthetic antibacterial agent, SA, has a satisfactory antibacterial efficacy (30 ± 0.9 mm zone of
inhibition) considered as optimized herbal formulation. Further studies need to be conducted to confirm
the anti-acne effect of face serum clinically.
Key words: Face serum, acne, neem extract, antibacterial activity, zone of inhibition
Publication date: 01/08/2025
https://ijbpas.com/pdf/2025/August/MS_IJBPAS_2025_9303.pdf
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https://doi.org/10.31032/IJBPAS/2025/14.8.9303
